PEACE & MISSION

By Marilyn Hurlbutt

Niccolls' Mission Statement says in part "to live out Christ's love... by reaching out in faith and love." To that end, the Peace and Mission Committee serves to Act, Advocate, and Educate in areas of need which may be local, regional, national and worldwide, limited only by the vision and energy of its members and the congregation.

As an example, the issue of Hunger is partly addressed at the local level with a Food Pantry at the church administered by the Deacons.  The "open door" policy (24/7) at Niccolls allows for easy access by those in need.  Monthly bulk buying at significant savings in a program called Food Sense is also administered by the Deacons.  Regionally, many members of all ages routinely travel from the mountains to urban Utica to help prepare and serve meals at Hope house, a facility that ministers to hundreds of less fortunate.

We try to educate via Minutes for Mission on Sunday mornings, updates in The Bellringer (the church newsletter), use of bulletin boards, a newly developed ListServ by the name of PMDove, weekly radio broadcasts, and via this website.  Energetic new members are needed and welcome!

 

 

WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP 

 

The women of Niccolls Memorial Presbyterian Church in Old Forge sponsor fund raising events each year.  These include:  Fashions by the Lake – a summer luncheon and fashion show; two craft fairs, normally held in late-summer and fall; and a Victorian Tea Room in the spring.

 

     

 

                2007 Fashions By the Lake

 

 

 

 

 

 

We meet on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month at 10:00 a.m. at the church.  The first Monday is a “coffee cake” meeting and the third Monday we stay for lunch.  We welcome all women to join us!

We also make soup on the third Sunday of each month in the winter.  For only 50 cents you can have a bowl of soup and enjoy fellowship before venturing out into the cold after church.

We support Church World Service and annually sponsor a Blanket Sunday, usually in May.  We offer the opportunity for members of the congregation to  purchase a blanket for $5.00.  These blankets are then distributed to those in need.

We sew hospital gowns for babies and adults that are sent to hospitals in 3rd world countries.

With help from our Thrift Shop, we send bathing suits to the Thea Bowman House in Utica for an after school children’s program.

We fill shoeboxes with items like toothbrushes, washcloths, toys, books, candy and many items that children like to receive.  These boxes are sent through the Samaritan's Purse organization, to countries like Bosnia or Ghana.

We make baby kits for expectant mothers and school kits for children who do not have these items. They are distributed through the Presbyterian Women of the Utica Presbytery.

We also provide food and host receptions for members after weddings and funerals, if requested.

At the end of each year we send all the money left in our treasury to various organizations.

 

Some of the places that we have supported are:

                       Catholic Charities in Herkimer

                       Emmaus House in Utica, for homeless women & children

                       Hall House in Utica, for abused women

                       HASCA of Old Forge

                       Heifer International

                       Hope House in Utica, meals for the hungry

                       New Horizons of the MohawkValley for at-risk teenage girls.

                      The Salvation Army

                      Thea Bowman House in Utica, preschool and after school programs

                      Hospice

                      Rising Son  (at-risk teen boys)

 

 

BOARD OF DEACONS

The Board of Deacons meets monthly from September to June on Sundays after the 10:00 a.m. Worship Service.  They are responsible for caring and outreach to our congregation and beyond.

Making cards for the Deacons' Outreach.

They provide food baskets to the needy at Thanksgiving and Christmas, send “care packages” to our college students, and run two ongoing food programs:

     Food Sense - Catholic Charities sends discounted food for distribution on a monthly basis.  Sign up and pick-up dates are announced in the church bulletin, the church newsletter - the Bellringer – and in the local newspapers – The Weekly Adirondack and The Adirondack Express.  Contact us for more information.

     The Food Pantry – located in the church’s Fellowship Hall – contains non-perishable food and toiletry items available to anyone in need.  It is always accessible in order to facilitate the anonymity of its users.  Contact us for more information.

 

 

THRIFT SHOP

 

HOURS OF OPERATION:

     Fridays  10:00 a.m. – 3 p.m. & 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.

     Saturdays  10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

SORTING TIMES:

     Monday evenings 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

     Wednesday mornings 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

ITEMS SOLD IN THE THRIFT SHOP include:

Clothing, shoes, coats, etc. for adults and children

Toys and games

Baby items such as walkers, cribs, blankets, etc.

Soft goods such as bedding, tablecloths and curtains

Kitchenware such as dishes, utensils, glassware and pots & pans

Decorative items such as candles and framed art

Seasonal items

Small furniture

 

Many of our Thrift Shop volunteers - Summer 2007.  Back row from left: Carolyn Wilsey, Bess Folsom, Char Pylman,

Nancy Dowd, Jean Kull, Carol Wheeler, Bob Wheeler, & Frank Ornoski.  Front row from left:  Stella Morse, Betty Stem,

Ginny Milton, Eileen Tobin, Helen Macdonald, Dot Haggblom, & Sharon Ornoski.

 

In addition to meeting the needs of the Old Forge community, the Thrift Shop volunteers share appropriate items with other agencies and appeals. For example:

      As items come in, baby clothes are sorted to make up layettes.  The clothing is supplemented with diapers and the like, purchased by Presbyterian Women.  Last year, 25 layettes were sent to Church World Service for overseas use.

      When Moriah-Olivet Presbyterian Church in Utica appealed for household items for Bosnian refugees, the Thrift Shop delivered.

      Last winter, an appeal from the Colgate University Chaplain’s office to assist with a student project resulted in the delivery of nine large plastic bags of carefully selected and sorted clothing to send to the Blantyre North Relief Project in the region of Blantyre, Malawi, Africa.  This project seeks to aid 300 AIDS orphans, between the ages of infancy and young adulthood, and their elderly and widowed care givers.

      Extra clothing is bagged and sent seasonally to the Salvation Army and to missions in the Ukraine.

  

Funds raised by the Thrift Shop are used for other local, national, and international projects.  Decisions on expenditures are made by the Session of the church in cooperation with the volunteers.  Among the projects supported are the weekly radio ministry, financial assistance for seminary students, a major donation for the purchase of a new CTS van, and occasional disaster relief both nationally and internationally.

 

If you have reusable merchandise, bring it to the Thrift Shop.  If you have a few hours to spare, come on Wednesdays to help sort or volunteer to staff the Shop for one shift during the open-for-sale hours. 

 

Be sure to say thank you to these dedicated people who contribute so generously of their time in this important local mission project.

 

 

COMMUNITY GROUPS

Alcoholics Anonymous meets in the Social Room on Sundays at 5:30 p.m.; Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m.; Fridays at 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.; and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. 

Alanon meets on Sundays at 5:50 p.m. and Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m.

Community Chorus meets seasonally for rehearsals and performances.

AARP meets monthly.

Other community groups use the church’s facilities with permission of the Session.